For many people, there are few things more rude than finding someone is repeatedly checking their phone while you are talking to them.

But people who are unable to leave their mobile alone for even a few minutes may be suffering from problems with controlling their impulsiveness, a new study has concluded.

Psychologists have found people who constantly check their devices through the day are more impatient and seek instant gratification rather than being willing to wait for greater rewards.

People who check their mobile phones almost obsessively through the day (stock picture) may be suffering from problems controlling their impulsiveness. Tests showed people who used their technology more through the day were also less willing to wait to obtain larger rewards, preferring to take smaller rewards instantly

Their impulsiveness also causes them to see rewards in the future as less valuable, even if in fact they stand to benefit more.

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Henry Wilmer, a psychologist at Temple University in Philadelphia who was the lead author of the research, said: 'Mobile technology habits, such as frequent checking, seem to be driven most strongly by uncontrolled impulses and not by the desire to pursue rewards.

ARE YOU A PHONE ADDICT?

Many of us reach for our phones the second we wake up, and they are often the last thing we look at before we go to bed, but we may not realise just how much they rule our lives.

A recent study discovered the average person checks their device 85 times a day, spending a total of five hours using the web and apps.

This equates to around a third of the time a person is awake, and is twice as often as many people even realise.

The study, led by Nottingham Trent University, asked participants aged 18 to 33 to estimate the amount of time they spend on their phone and compared self-reports to actual usage.

To measure this usage, an app was installed on their smartphones which recorded their usage over a two-week period.

This included activities such as checking the time, looking at message notifications or social media alerts, phone calls and playing music.

They were asked to complete a range of questionnaires alongside some cognitive tests.

Each of the students then took part in a series of tests where they were offered hypothetical choices between receiving a sum of money immediately, or a larger sum if they waited until later.

The researchers found those who tended to check their phones and used social media more often were more likely to take the money immediately.

They also found they scored more highly on impulsive personality traits.

Dr Jason Chein, a psychologist at Temple University who led the research, said the findings show frequent checking of mobile technology seems to be driven by uncontrolled impulses.

He said it appears the people who engage in such behaviour are not driven by a desire to pursue rewards.

The findings could be used to help those whose heavy use of their mobile phone is interfering with their lives.

The researchers found those who checked their mobile phone and social media more often were more likely to have lower impulse control (left). They were also less likely to want to be willing to wait for rewards (right)

Some people send hundreds of text messages a day and waste hours on their mobile devices (stock picture). The research suggests the reason for their heavy use may lie in their desire to seek instant gratification

Some people admit to sending hundreds of text messages a day or wasting hours each day on social media sites.

Even the average person checks their mobile device 85 times each day and up to five hours browsing the web or using apps.